Instant Takeaways: Storm Defeat Phoenix Mercury via Star Power

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Despite a back-and-forth first half, the Seattle Storm held off the Phoenix Mercury via long-range shooting in an 89-77 win on Saturday. Credit: John Mac [/caption]

Shrugging off the mid-week controversy, the Seattle Storm used a strong fourth quarter to push on to an 89-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, June 7.

Gabby Williams and Skylar Diggins led the effort for the Storm, combining for 47 points in the victory. Seattle (5-4) won its second-straight game following a three-game skid and took a 2-1 regular season series lead over Phoenix (6-4).

Here’s what we learned from an impressive Storm victory on Saturday.

Erica Wheeler enters the starting lineup

For the first time this season, head coach Noelle Quinn rolled out a starting lineup that didn’t include forward Alysha Clark, while Clark was healthy. Instead, veteran guard Erica Wheeler — who has been much more effective on both sides of the ball — started in Clark’s place.

Wheeler provided the spark that was expected, totaling nine points, six rebounds, one assist and a block. Clark played 16 minutes (seven less than Wheeler) and finished with three points. Clark simply hasn’t added much as a starter this season, shooting 6 for 14 from 3-point range despite that being her specialty.

Williams dominates the first half, Diggins in the second

Williams is already one of the best defensive players in the WNBA. Through nine games, she’s beginning to look like one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league as well. In the first half alone, Williams set a new first-half career high with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting (4 for 5 from 3-point range), two rebounds, five assists, and a block. She scored one point about every 56 seconds of the first two quarters.

The Storm are operating efficiently with Williams at the point. Even though Diggins may be the overall best facilitator on the roster, Seattle has often gone to sets that allow Diggins to play off the ball. Williams, as a result, is instead running the offense when both are on the court.

That allowed Diggins to flourish in the final two quarters. After beginning the game 1 for 8, Diggins finished the game 8 for 18 and scored a season-high 26 points to go along with three rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Diggins hit multiple shots down the stretch that allowed the Storm to maintain their lead against the Phoenix push.

Williams totaled 21 points, three rebounds, seven assists and a block after four quarters of play, her highest scoring output of the season while shooting 80 percent from the field and 83 percent from beyond the arc.

Disgruntled Yueru sees little time

Since her trade request on Wednesday, it was unclear whether center Li Yueru would see time on the court against the Mercury. She was in uniform to begin the game but didn’t get in until late in the second quarter. 

Yueru wanted more minutes in a crowded front court. She played three minutes in the first half, scoring two points on free throws and pulling down a rebound. Once four quarters were done, Yueru played just five minutes — the least of any healthy player on Seattle’s roster and tying for her third-least all season.

That’s the opposite of what Yueru was hoping to see following her request to be traded.

“I don’t feel I have enough time on the court,” Yueru said following the Storm’s Thursday practice, per ESPN. “I came here only to play the game. I'm really happy and appreciative because I know many teammates, I've made many new friends and know many different staff, coach. These really let me feel happy, and I'm so glad for that, but playing is one of the important things for me.”

As with any professional league, Yueru has to earn her time on the court. So far, even at 6-foot-7, Yueru hasn’t shot the ball well nor has she rebounded effectively. Yueru played her season-high minutes (22) in the season opener against Phoenix, totaling six points on 2-of-6 shooting and four rebounds. In 9.1 minutes per game this season prior to Saturday, Yueru has averaged just 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and has no distinctive defensive figures that stand out. She has one steal, zero blocks and seven turnovers so far through nine games.

Another slow defensive start evens out

The Mercury shot 16 for 26 in the first half (61.5 percent), as the Storm got off to another slow defensive start. Seattle had the offense to match it, but that’s not where they want to be when Phoenix didn’t even have Alyssa Thomas in the lineup.

In the second half, however, Seattle tightened up. Phoenix continued putting up rainbow threes, finishing 8 for 25 from that range. The Mercury also cooled off drastically in the second half, finishing 29 for 66 as a team (43.9 percent). 

Seattle, which has still rarely found its defensive groove for a whole four quarters, eliminated much of what Phoenix tried to do in the second half. Even though Satou Sabally finished with 22 points, it took her 20 shots to reach that mark. Rookie guard Lexi Held was second on the Mercury with 14 points.

Best long-range shooting day of the season

Williams in the first half. Diggins in the second half. The Storm hit a season-high 12 3-pointers in the game, led by five from Williams. On 22 attempts, that led to a very respectable 54.5 percent from that area.

Seattle has shown a legitimate improvement from a season ago, and that’s in large part due to Williams being markedly better from beyond the arc than at any other point in her career. Diggins, who finished 4 for 8 from that range as well, is a big reason Seattle was able to post that performance.

Williams has already drained 17 threes this season, which is just three less than her career-high of 20 during the 2020 season when she was with the Chicago Sky. Seattle is just nine games into the season. That was through 22 games with Chicago.